The present invention is directed generally towards cathode current limiting circuits for video displays, and more particularly, towards a cathode current limiting circuit for projection television display systems which monitors differences between low level red, green and blue signals to provide cathode current limiting feedback to the video signal processor.
A projection television display system includes three individual cathode ray tubes (CRTs), each having a different screen phosphor corresponding to one of red, green, and blue (RGB) colors. Each CRT emits a respective RGB light image responsive to a received television signal of the system, these light images being reflected from a mirror and merged onto the rear of an opaque screen for viewing as a single full color image. High level RGB video drive signals are coupled to respective cathodes of the electron guns of the CRTs from respective drive amplifiers or xe2x80x9cdriversxe2x80x9d which amplify the respective low level RGB video signals produced by a video signal processor. In response to the respective video drive signals, the CRTs generate electron beams at a cathode or beam current, these beams striking the respective screen phosphors within the CRT causing them to emit light outputs of particular wavelengths corresponding to the respective color emitted by the CRT. The light outputs produced by the CRTs are transmitted by an optical system to a screen where a composite color image is reproduced.
In such projection television display systems, having the three separate CRTs for producing RGB light, certain signals, such as a high level flat field in an individual primary color, can result in that a respective CRT provides much more than its nominal share of light. Unfortunately, many video accessory devices, such as video games, cable television, etc., provide a blue flat field when no program content is being provided. While it is common practice to sense and limit the total beam current under such flat field conditions, one CRT may draw most if not all of the beam current ordinarily allocated for all three CRTs. This one CRT may then overheat and fracture if these conditions are allowed to remain continuously.
Typically, the share of the total cathode current drawn by all of the CRTs relative to that drawn by each individual CRT is determined by directly measuring the cathode ray current of each individual CRT. The overall cathode current is then controlled by feedback to control the gains of the RGB video signals thus limiting the maximum average cathode current in an individual electron gun of the respective CRT to a desired level. For example, the PHILIPS MAGNAVOX Model GR-9D projection television display system directly measures the cathode current of the blue CRT. The gains of the RGB video signals are controlled in a feedback loop to limit the average blue cathode current to a safe level. However, the system requires the use of costly high voltage transistors as current sampling devices to directly sample the individual cathode currents, and furthermore introduces additional circuit complexity if the current sampling devices must also serve in an AKB stabilization loop.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cathode current limiting circuit and method of use with a projection color television display system. The display system is generally of the type having a video signal processor which feeds respective low level red, green, blue (RGB) signals to a cathode ray tube (CRT) drive which amplifies the low level RGB signals to high level RGB signals which drive separate RGB cathode ray tubes producing respective RGB beam currents. The circuit comprises a sensing, i.e., switching, device having inputs for receiving the respective low level RGB signals being fed from the video signal processor to the CRT drive. The sensing device is adapted to monitor differences between the low level RGB signals and to produce an output signal at an output thereof when one of the RGB signals exceeds each of the other individual RGB signals. The output signal provides feedback to the video signal processor to adjust the low level RGB signals to limit the cathode beam current of the CRT having the highest level RGB signal.
The method of limiting the cathode current comprises the steps of 1) providing a cathode current limiting circuit of the type described above; 2) monitoring differences between the respective low level RGB signals being fed from the video signal processor to the CRT drive using the cathode current limiting circuit; and 3) producing an output signal using the cathode current limiting circuit when one of the RGB signals exceeds each of the other individual RGB signals, which signal provides feedback to the video processor to adjust the low level RGB signals to limit the cathode beam current of the CRT having the highest level RGB signal.